Method of inhibiting the growth of tobacco suckers

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION RELATES TO A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE GROWTH OF SUCKERS IN TOBACCO PLANTS WITH CERTAIN C6 TO C18 SATURATED FATTY ALCOHOLS.

US. Cl. 71 -78 United States Patent Oifice Spring, Md., assignors to theUnited States of America v as represented by the Secretary ofAgriculture No Drawing. Filed Mar. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 443,106 Int. Cl.A01n 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to amethod for controlling the growth of suckers in tobacco plants withcertain C to C saturated fatty alcohols.

A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the inventionherein described, throughout the world for all purposes of the UnitedStates Government, with the power to grant sublicenses for suchpurposes, is hereby granted to the Government of the United States ofAmerica.

This invention relates to a method and compositions V for controllingthe growth of suckers in tobacco plants.

More particularly, it relates to the use of certain fatty alcohols andmixtures to control the growth of suckers, as well as to the use ofthese alcohols in combination with certain synthetic growth-controlsubstances.

In usual practice of tobacco production, when plants are near thematurity stage, the flowers and several adin commercial use, othermetabolic changes are induced which are considered to lower the qualityof the tobacco.

In addition, there is some evidence of undesirable residues of theseagents in the leaf tissue when amounts suflicient to achieve adequatecontrol are used.

An object of this invention is to provide compounds which canefi'ectively inhibit sucker development without any undesirable sideeffects on the tobacco leaves. Other objects will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from the description of the invention whichfollows.

In general, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, theobjectives are achieved by applying, to the upper parts of toppedtobacco plants, a C to C saturated fatty alcohol, either individually ormixtures thereof. Another aspect of the invention relates to thediscovery that, when these alcohols are mixed with amounts of syntheticgrowth regulators which are ordinarily too small for efiective control,excellent inhibition of sucker development is achieved.

In the practice of this invention, the fatty alcohol or mixture isemulsified in water in the presence of a wetting agent and sprayed ontothe upper part of topped tobacco plants. Although all of the C to Csaturated fatty alcohols have been found to be eifective, best resultswere obtained with the C alcohols.

. The following examples are illustrative of the invention. It will bereadily apparent from the widely-varying compositions that substantiallyany individual alcohol or mixture of alcohols within the C to C rangewill achieve sucker control.

3,824,094 Patented July 16, 1974 Table I, below, lists the various fattyalcohols used in the illustrative examples:

TABLE 1 Composition 1 number Fatty alcohols 1 99% C8 (n-octanol), 0.6%Cm (n-decanol).

2 97% C10 (n-decanol), 0.6% C (n-octanol), 1.3% Cu (ndodecanol).

3 97% C12 (n-dodecanol), 2% C14 (n-tetradecanol), 1%

C10 (n-decanol).

4 67% C12 (n-dodeeanol), 26% C14 (n-tetradecanol), 6% C1(n-hexadecanol), 1% Cu; (n.decano1).

5 55% C12 (n-dodecanol), 21% C14 (n-tetradecanol), 10%

Cr (n-octanol). 8% C10 (n-decanol), 5% Cu: (hexadecanol), 1% Ct(n-hexanol).

0 40% C11 (dodecanol), 28% C14 (n-tetradecanol), 15% Cu (n-hexadecanol),7% Ca (noctanol), 6% C10 (n-decanol), 3% 01a (n-octadecanol), 1% C6(n-hexanol).

7 54% Ca (n-octanol), 40% C10 (n-decanol), 4% Cs (nhexanol), 1% On(dodecanol), 1% C14 (n-tetradeeanol).

EXAMPLE 1 1 or 2 ml. of Composition No. 1, substantially pure (99%)n-octanol was mixed with 0.24 to 0.45 ml. of a wetting agent, made up to30 ml. with water, emulsified, and then sprayed onto the top of thedecapitated plant. The area covered by spraying was about eight inchesin diameter. This solution was permitted to drain down along the stem ofthe plant. This application (1 ml.) gave 100% sucker control of MarylandCatterton tobacco grown at Marlboro, Md., and an average of 83% (1 ml.)and 91% (2 ml.) of sucker control, of four types of tobacco grown atBeltsville, Md.

EXAMPLE 2 1 or 2 ml. of Composition No. 2, containing about 97%n-decanol was mixed with 0.24 to 0.45 ml. of a wetting agent, made up to30 ml. with water, emulsified, and then sprayed as described previously.This composition gave 100% (1 and 2 ml.) sucker control at Marlboro,Md., on Maryland Catterton tobacco, and an average of 92% (1 ml.) and95% (2 ml.) sucker control of four types tobacco grown at Beltsville,Md.

EXAMPLE 3 1 or 2 ml. of Composition No. 3, containing about 97%n-dodecanol was mixed with 0.24 to 0.45 ml. of a wetting agent, made upto 30 ml. with water, emulsified, and then sprayed as describedpreviously. This composition gave 99.4% (1 ml.) sucker control atMarlboro, Md., on Maryland Catterton tobacco, and an average of 46% (1ml.) and 70% (2 ml.) sucker control of four types of tobacco grown atBeltsville,. Md.

EXAMPLE 4 1 or 2 ml. of Composition No. 6, predominantly dodecanol, andcomprising a mixture of fatty alcohols (1% C 7% C3, C10, C12, C14, C16,and C mixed with 0.24 to 0.45 ml. of a wetting agent, made up to 30 ml.with water, emulsified and sprayed as described previously, gave. 91% (1ml.) and 100% (2 ml.) sucker control on Maryland Catterton tobacco grownat Upper Marlboro, Md.

EXAMPLE 5 2 ml. of Composition No. 7, predominantly octanol, andcomprising a mixture of fatty alcohols (4% C 54% C 40% C10, 1% C12, and1% C mixed with 0.24 to 0.45 ml. of a wetting agent and made up to 30ml. with water, emulsified and sprayed as described previously, gave99.3% sucker control on Maryland Catterton tobacco grown at UpperMarlboro, Md.

The following examples illustrate the synergistic eifect produced whenthe fatty alcohols are mixed with synthetic growth inhibitors which, ifused alone in effective con- 3 centrations, cause leaf deformities andchanges in tobacco quality.

EXAMPLE 6 Emulsions were prepared as described above, using 0.5 ml.portions of Composition Nos. 1 and 2 to which were TABLE III Percent ofsucker control of various fatty alcohols Variety, percent Conn. AverageComposltlon broad- Burley Maryland 4 types, number Composition Hicksleaf 21 Catterton percent Control, topped, not suckered 0 0 0 0 Malclchydrazide, 170 Ing./plant 7G 91 95 94 89 1 ml. 03 88 67 88 88 83 1 ml.Cro 75 95 100 99 92 1 ml. C14 46 7 70 60 46 1 ml. 54% C5, 40% O 81 87 6790 81 1 ml. 67% C12, 26% C14- 40 17 84 74 54 1 ml. 55% C12, 21% C14 8573 95 83 84 1 ml. 40% C12, 28% C14, 15% Cu 54 12 65 46 44 2 m Cg 77 9591 99 91 2 ml. C1o 96 96 89 100 95 2 ml C12 4-- 50 38 98 92 7O 2 ml 54%Cr, 40% C1 97 93 100 100 98 2 ml 67% C12, 26% 61 22 93 87 66 2 ml. 55%C11, 21% C14-.. 92 85 95 98 93 2 H11. 40% C12, 28% C1 15% C100.-. 61 3291 92 69 added 15 and 30 mg. of CIPC, isopropyl-N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate, per 20 ml. of solution. When sprayed on decapitated tobaccoplants, 99 to 100% sucker inhibition was achieved. The amounts of CIPCwere about one-tenth and one-fifth, respectively, the amounts of thatagent normally required to obtain effective inhibition.

EXAMPLE 7 From 50 to 100 p.p.m. of CIPC were added to 20 ml. portions ofa 2.5% emulsion of Compositions Nos. 1 and 2, prepared as previouslydescribed. These were sprayed onto tobacco plants having newly formedflower buds. Both the flower buds and axillary buds were destroyed. Bythis procedure it was possible to prevent blossoming and to inhibit thedevelopment of suckers.

Table II, below, summarizes the results of tests on Maryland tobaccogrown at Upper Marlboro, Md., in 1964, and shows the percent of suckerinhibition by various compositions. These data are average of 40 plants.Percent of sucker inhibition is calculated from topped, but

not suckered, control plants.

TABLE II Fatty alcohols on Maryland tobacco, Marlboro, Md., 1964Composition Percent Field No. Treatment control rating Control, topped,not suckered 0 1 1 ml. 99% Cg, 0.6% C10 100 2 1 ml. 97% Cm, 0.6% G8,1.3% C12 100 5 2ml. 97% Cw, 0.6% Ca, 1.3% 0 100 4 111'11- C10, 97% C12,2% C14 99.4 2. 5 1 m1. 1% C10, 67% C12, 26% C14, 6% 010-. 94. 8 2. 5 1ml. 1% Cu, Ca, 8% C10, 55% 0 98.6 4+

14, 5% Cm. 6 1 ml. 1% Cs, 7% C3, 6% C10, 40% C11, 91.0 2.5

28% C14, C16, a. 2 ml. 1% 0., 7% 0t, 6% C10, 40% C12, 100 2.5

28% C 15% C10, 3% C18. 7... 1 ml. 4% 0., 54% 0,, 40% Cu), 1% Cu, 97.4 5

l4- 7 2 mi 4% 0,, 54% c8, 40% C10, 1% Cu, 99.3 4.5

14. 7 a mi 4% ca, 54% 08, 40% Cm, 1% C12, 100 4 14' Male ic hydrazide,170 mgJplant 93. 6 5

From experimental results, fatty alcohols with various carbon chainlengths appeared to show little variability in their effectiveness onsucker control. Field rating as shown in Table 2, is a relativeevaluation of the plant appearance in the field after treatment, asjudged by leaf damage, general plant development, and other physicalcharacteristics, 5 being the highest rating.

Table III shows the results of fatty alcohol treatment on four types oftobacco, including flue-cured, Hicks, Cigar type, Connecticut Broadleaf;Burley type, Burley In addition to the naturally occurring even-numberedfatty alcohols, odd-numbered fatty alcohols such as nnonyl and relatedderivatives were also tested. Varying degrees of effectiveness in suckercontrol were observed.

Without wishing to be bound by any theory of why the present inventionachieves the above-described results, it appears that the meristematicand diffe rtiating cells of axillary buds are destroyed when contactedby the fatty alcohols, but the cells in the advanced stages of maturityare not affected. Fatty alcohols so used do not damage the tobaccoleaves when destroying the axillary buds. Many fatty acid esters andalcohols are found in tobacco leaves and seeds. Thus the application offatty alcohols for tobacco sucker control will not result in theintroduction of substances which are foreign to the composition of thetobacco.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modificationscan be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, itcan be seen that the proportions of the C to C fatty alcohols set forthin Table I may be varied as desired or as dictated by the availabilityof naturally or artificially compounded mixtures of these alcohols.

Having described our invention, what we now claim is:

1. A method of inhibiting the growth of suckers in tobacco plants whichcomprises applying to topped tobacco plants a saturated C to C fattyalcohol in an amount effective to prevent growth of axillary buds.

2. A method of inhibiting the growth of suckers in tobacco plants whichcomprises applying to topped tobacco plants a member of the groupconsisting of a saturated C to C fatty alcohol and mixtures thereof inan amount effective to prevent growth axillary buds.

3. The process of Claim 1 wherein the fatty alcohol is applied as anaqueous emulsion.

4. The process of Claim 2 wherein the fatty alcohol is applied as anaqueous emulsion.

5. The process of Claim 1 wherein there is applied to the topped tobaccoplant an aqueous emulsion of octanol.

6. The process of Claim 1 wherein there is applied to the topped tobaccoplant an aqueous emulsion of decanol.

7. The process of Claim 1 wherein there is applied to the topped tobaccoplant an aqueous emulsion of dodecanol.

8. The process of Claim 2 wherein there is applied to the topped tobaccoplant a mixture of C and C fatty alcohols.

9. The process of Claim 2 wherein there is applied to the topped tobaccoplant a mixture of C and C fatty alcohols.

5 6 10. The process of Claim 2 wherein there is applied 2,622,97612/1952 Hitchcock 712.7 to the topped tobacco plant a mixture of C C and2,789,044 4/1957 Steinmetz 71--2.7 C fatty alcohols. 2,876,089 3/1959Brugman et al 71-2.6

11. A method of inhibiting the growth of suckers in tobacco plants whichcomprises applying to topped to- FOREIGN PATENTS bacco plants aneffective amount of a saturated C to 5 623,410 7/ 1961 Canada- C18 myOTHER REFERENCES References Clted Tso et al.: J. Agric. Food Chem. 13#1, January-Feb- UNITED STATES PATENTS ruary19 ,PP- 3,205,os9 9/1965Roberts 71-2.? 10 3,220,823 11/1965 Mihara et a1. 71 -217 JAMES THOMAS,111-, Prlmary Exammer 2,585,875 5/1952 Swaney et a1. 71--2.6

